Semiconductor devices, such as memory devices, are fabricated by performing a photolithography process, wherein a mask is subjected to an exposure to light and a series of patterns are formed on portions of a photoresist layer exposed to the light. The series of patterns formed on the photoresist layer, along with any underlying layers between the photoresist layer and its substrate, are then etched to form layers of the semiconductor device.
In the continuously evolving semiconductor device field, semiconductor device manufacturers generally compete to bring to market semiconductor devices, such as memory devices, having both greater storage capacity and smaller physical size. Present methods attempt to achieve one or more of these goals by making dimensionally smaller each of the patterns in the series of patterns on the mask and in the respective series of patterns formed on the photoresist layer. Alternatively or in addition, attempts include forming each of the patterns in the series of patterns on the mask and in the respective series of patterns formed on the photoresist layer to be closer to one another so as to increase the density of patterns formed on the semiconductor device.